Taha Bouqdib loves tea. And luxury. So much that in 2008 he co-founded TWG Tea, Singapore’s first and only upscale tea salon at Republic Plaza in Raffles Place, followed by another new, even bigger outlet at the swanky ION Orchard mall.

People forget that back in the days of the clipper ships and the spice routes, most of the world’s tea cargos came through Singapore.— TWG Tea co-founder Taha Bouqdib

With hardwood floors, shelves lined with large hand-painted tea caddies, rattan chairs, Louis XIV accents and some 200 blends from every tea-producing country on the planet, TWG Tea has won the devotion of tai-tais and other free-spending tea drinkers in Singapore. It's not all tea cozies and saucers. Executive pastry chef Phillipe Langlois -- a celebrity pastry chef with a rabid following in his native France -- has added a range of savory dishes, desserts and pastries to the TGW Tea menu.

TWG's pastries are the work of executive pastry chef Phillipe Langlois, a cult figure in France.

With his Singapore base of operations now firmly established, Bouqdib is bent on world domination. TWG Tea blends are already being marketed in the United States through renowned foodie retailer Dean & Deluca and a flagship salon is slated to open in the massive Dubai Mall in 2010, the first in a global chain planned for the USA, Europe and Middle East.

So, with such grand ambitions in larger
markets, why did the dapper Moroccan decide to establish
his luxury tea company in Singapore?

"People forget that back in the days of the clipper ships and the
spice routes, most of the world’s tea cargos came through this amazing
port," explains Bouqdib. "By choosing to establish TWG Tea here, we are re-affirming
Singapore’s pivotal role in the tea trade.

"Singapore has many advantages. First, it is not a tea-producing country, which makes it a perfect neutral base from which to do business with multiple plantations across Asia. Second, as an Asian base, we are close to our sources. We can get our teas here and processed faster and better than any European or American tea house. This means our teas are fresher and more flavorful."